Flight Recorder from Fallen Greek Jet Recovered

The flight recorder or “black box” from the fallen Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet, which crashed into the sea nine miles northeast of the Aegean island of Skyros, has been located and recovered, Hellenic Air Force sources reported on Tuesday.

The flight recorder was raised from the sea floor by the Hellenic Marine Research Centre survey ship “Aigaio” that sailed to the site of the accident from Piraeus port on Tuesday morning.

It is expected to yield vital clues as to the causes of the crash, which cost the life of 34-year-old Air Force pilot Giorgos Baltadoros, father of two.

The aircraft had scrambled to intercept Turkish military planes that had entered Greece’s air space and was returning to its base on Skyros, flying low in conditions of poor visibility due to a cloud of African dust, when it fell.

The air force sources said the flight recorder will now be sent to the construction firm in France to be translated and the evidence that emerges will be used by an expert committee to draft an accident report.